


I’ve Always Wanted To Meet You

by SummerStormFlower



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Aged Down Characters, Brothers, Child Abandonment, Fluff, Gen, Hurt and comfort, Sibling Love, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22805614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SummerStormFlower/pseuds/SummerStormFlower
Summary: Jay and Nya take Zane to the lighthouse to meet Echo.*related to “Someone Is Missing”. Doesn’t necessarily have to be read first, but I’d suggest it*
Relationships: Cole & Lloyd Garmadon & Kai & Nya & Jay Walker & Zane, Echo Zane & Zane (Ninjago), Jay Walker & Zane, Nya & Zane (Ninjago)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 110





	I’ve Always Wanted To Meet You

**Author's Note:**

> Echo is younger here than in the show. I think... how old is he anyway?  
> He’s about Lloyd’s height and age before “Tomorrow’s Tea”.

The way to the lighthouse is quiet, nothing but the sound of the waves and seagulls in the sky. Jay is steering the boat, while Zane and Nya are sitting behind him. 

He can feel their tension radiating off of them. Not even the beautiful ocean is enough to lessen it. 

“Okay, c’mon,” Jay finally sighs, glancing at them over his shoulder. Both of them look at him, surprised. Jay rolls his eyes. “Just talk,” he tells them, readjusting his grip on the tiller. 

Nya and Zane look at each other awkwardly. Nya fiddles with her fingers. Zane opens his mouth a couple of times, but closes it quickly and looks away. 

After a full minute of silence, Zane finally looks Nya in the eye and speaks,

“Why did you not tell me about Echo earlier?”

There’s a hint of hurt in his voice and guilt wells up inside Nya. 

“Well...” she starts, “if we told you about him, that’d mean we’d have to tell you about the erased timeline. And then we’d have to tell the others too—and...” She sighs. “So much happened. We thought it’d be better if you didn’t know.”

Zane looks at Jay. Jay nods.

Then Zane turns back to Nya and takes her hands in his. “But you two are who suffered the most damage,” he says sadly. 

He sounds so sad, it hurts Nya’s heart. 

“Jay was kidnapped and tortured on this ‘Misfortune’s Keep’,” Zane continues, “And you...” Zane squeezes Nya’s hands. “Nya, you died.”

Nya swallows painfully. 

Zane looks between her and Jay, who isn’t looking at them, but his shoulders are tense. “How many nights have you lost sleep over these memories?” he asks. 

Neither of them answers. 

Zane rubs his thumbs over Nya’s knuckles. “Why would you keep such a thing from us?” he asks, “Did you not think we would want to help you? Did you not think we deserved to know?” 

They still don’t answer. 

“Nya.”

Nya looks up at Zane, her expression pinched in pain. 

“Did you not think Kai deserved to know that you died?”

Nya’s face falls at the mention of her brother. She shuts her eyes tightly, bottom lip quivering. 

“We are family,” Zane says softly, “Family does not keep secrets from each other.”

Nya sniffles, scrubbing at her face. “I’m so sorry, Zane,” she says, leaning forward to hug him. 

Zane hugs her back. “It is okay,” he says, rubbing her back comfortingly, “I am sorry such horrible things befell you.”

Jay smiles. They still have to get Echo and they still have to tell the others when they get back, but for now, things are back to normal.

____________________________________

“I remember you two.”

Jay and Nya are surprised by what Echo says when he sees them. He’s sweeping the floors, pushing the dust out of an opened window. 

“You are...” He stares intently at them. 

It reminds Jay of the face Zane makes when he doesn’t understand a joke. 

“You are the ninja,” Echo says after a bit. He sets his broom aside and approaches them. “You are the ones who gave me my name.” 

He hesitates for a moment. Then he stands on his tiptoes and hugs both of them stiffly, clearly unsure of how it works.

“Good to see you again?” he says with a nervous frown.

“Uh... yeah,” Jay says, glancing at Nya.

Nya is speechless. She can’t believe Echo actually remembers them. Honestly, Jay can’t either. 

“Yeah, good to see you too, buddy,” Jay says, patting Echo’s head. He reminds Jay of Lloyd as a child. Just... with a harder head. 

The frown stays etched upon Echo’s face. “I waited for you two,” he says. 

Jay and Nya’s eyes widen. 

Echo hangs his head sadly, looking like a kicked puppy. “I was waiting for a long time. I did not think you were coming.” Then he looks up at them again. “But now... you are here?” he asks hopefully. 

Nya kneels down next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Yes, we’re here. And we’re sorry we took so long,” she says.

Echo’s smile is small and shy. “It is okay,” he says. He looks at Nya’s hand on his shoulder. He copies her. “I am glad you are here now.”

Nya smiles at the endearing gesture. 

Jay feels bad. All this time, Echo has remembered them and waited for them to come back for him. He must have been so lonely. They should’ve come sooner.

“Say Echo, we brought someone with us,” Nya then says.

Echo brightens.

“Would you like to meet him?” Nya asks gently. 

Echo nods eagerly. 

Nya looks at Jay. 

Jay turns around. “Zane, you can come out now,” he calls with a smile, “He wants to meet you.”

Echo stares at the corner Jay spoke to, confused. Then after a moment, Zane slowly comes out of his hiding spot. He meets Echo’s gaze. Echo blinks. 

Zane takes a deep breath, steeling his nerves. “Hello,” he gulps, “little brother.”

Echo looks around, then back at Zane. “You mean me?” He points at his chest. 

“Yes,” Zane says, slowly approaching him. Once they’re face to face, he kneels down like Nya had, so they can look directly at each other. Sure enough, Echo’s face is the same face from his dreams. Echo is the one who has been the missing piece in his life. 

Curiously, Echo cups Zane’s face in his hands, studying his features. “You look like me,” he says. He smiles. “You’re like me.”

Zane smiles back. His nerves are still making his stomach queasy, but his heart is overflowing with happiness. “Yes, I am like you,” he says, smile growing wider. 

“That means you’re the one Papa used to tell me stories about,” Echo says. 

Zane swallows at the mention of his father. Their father. He feels a surge of bitterness toward the man who gave him life. Why hadn’t he said anything about Echo before he passed away?

Echo laughs then. “Papa told me lots of funny stories about you.”

Zane pushes aside the bitterness. What’s important right now is Echo. That they’re finally together. 

“I’m sure he had many to tell,” Zane says. He pulls Echo into a hug. Echo tries to return the sentiment, but doesn’t seem to know how. 

He reminds Zane of himself when he knew nothing of human behaviour. 

“I am happy we got the chance to meet,” Zane whispers emotionally. 

Echo looks up at him with sad eyes. “Are you going to leave?” he asks. He latches onto Zane’s arms. “I don’t want you to leave. I don’t like being alone. This place is scary at night.”

“No, I am not leaving,” Zane says immediately, the kid’s small hands on his arms pulling at his heartstrings, “And you do not have to stay here by yourself anymore.”

Echo blinks. “I don’t?”

“No,” Zane shakes his head. He bites his lip and looks at Jay and Nya. They smile encouragingly and nod. He turns back to Echo and takes a deep breath. “You can come home with me. If you want,” he says, “The choice is yours.”

Echo stares at him. “I can go home with you?” he asks uncertainly, sounding small. 

Zane nods. 

Echo thinks for a moment. Then he pats Zane’s arms; his version of showing affection. “I want to. I want to go with you,” he says quietly. 

Zane smiles. “Okay,” he breathes. He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath. He pulls Echo into another hug. “Okay, good,” he whispers. 

The missing piece of his life is no longer missing.

____________________________________

Echo is utterly enchanted by the water. He keeps leaning over the boat to get a closer look. Zane pulls him back him gently each time, worried he’s going to fall in. Echo doesn’t get the message and keeps leaning over. 

“I’m glad you told Zane,” Nya says, watching them fondly. 

Jay smiles. “Yeah. I am too.”


End file.
